Senate Confirms Hafsat Bakare As NFIU Boss

The Senate has confirmed Hafsat Bakare as the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

The resolution of the red chamber followed its adoption of the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes that screened the nominee.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Menga Udende, presented the report to the Senate during Tuesday’s plenary.

The Senate approved the recommendation of the committee when it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Akpabio, in his remark, congratulated Bakare on her appointment and urged her to bring to bear her wealth of experience in uplifting the operations and effectiveness of the NFIU.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had nominated Bakare to head the NFIU pending her confirmation by the Senate.

By the appointment, Bakare will replace Modibbo Tukur who was relieved of his job by President Tinubu in June 2023.

Before her nomination for appointment as the CEO of the NFIU, Bakare served as deputy director at the NFIU, and was at different times the Head of the General Services Unit; Head of the Strategy and Reorientation Unit, and Head of the Board Secretariat of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The NFIU boss is a lawyer and financial intelligence expert with years of experience in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and counter-proliferation financing.